Livestock monitoring

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system for livestock monitoring. Animal monitoring devices, mounted on animals, collect accelerometer data of parts of the animals. The devices classify the accelerometer data into one of multiple animal behaviours, to create behaviour classification data. Gateway devices receive the behaviour classification data from the animal monitoring devices, responsive to the one or more of the multiple animal monitoring devices being within a communication range of the gateway device. The gateway devices also obtain sensor data in relation to the animals that is measured independent from the animal behaviours. A rules engine, located remotely from the animals, determines compliance of the animal behaviours with predetermined rules, wherein the behaviours and sensor data are used as variable values in determining the compliance.

1 . A system for livestock monitoring, the system comprising:
 multiple animal monitoring devices, each configured to:
 be mounted on respective animals, 
 collect accelerometer data of one or more parts of the animals, 
 classify, by a processor integrated with each of the animal monitoring devices, the accelerometer data into one of multiple animal behaviours, to create behaviour classification data; 
   one or more gateway devices configured to:
 receive the behaviour classification data from one or more of the multiple animal monitoring devices, responsive to the one or more of the multiple animal monitoring devices being within a communication range of the gateway device, and 
 obtain sensor data in relation to the animals that is measured independent from the animal behaviours; and 
   a rules engine, located remotely from the animals, configured to determine compliance of the animal behaviours with predetermined rules, wherein the behaviours and sensor data are used as variable values in determining the compliance.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gateway devices are configured to store the behaviour classification data and the sensor data on a first blockchain. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first blockchain is a private blockchain. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein calculating the score indicative of the reliability of the animal behaviours in light of the sensor data is performed by a smart contract on the first blockchain. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first blockchain is configured to store a hash value of each of multiple blocks; and   the system further comprises a second blockchain that is configured to store the hash values of the first blockchain to establish a cryptographic link to the first blockchain.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein classifying by the processor integrated with each of the animal monitoring devices, the accelerometer data into one of multiple animal behaviours, to create behaviour classification data, is based on a linear classifier. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the linear classifier comprises a soft-max classifier. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein classifying comprises filtering the accelerometer data using a low-pass filter. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein classifying is based on frequency features of the accelerometer data. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the one or more gateway devices are further configured to obtain weather data; and   the weather data is used as variable values in determining compliance by the rules engine.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple animal monitoring devices is further configured to determine compliance, based on data collected by that animal monitoring device, with animal rules. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple animal monitoring devices is further configured to collect sensor data from sensors integrated with that animal monitoring device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor data comprises geographic location data from a satellite or terrestrial navigation system. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gateway devices are further configured to calculate a score indicative of a reliability of the animal behaviour in light of the sensor data and the rules engine is configured to determine compliance such that the behaviours are related to the score. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises an aggregator configured to receive behaviour classification data for individual animals and output composite data. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the composite data comprises one or more of:
 composite data for a group of animals;   composite data over a period of time for one or more animals; and   composite data over a period for weather data.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the rules engine is further configured to determine animal data other than behavioural classification data for individual animals, and the aggregator is further configured to receive the animal data other than behavioural classification data to determine the output composite data. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the rules engine is configured to
 access animal specific rules to determine the animal data other than behavioural classification data; and   access general rules to determine compliance based on the output composite data for the group of animals.   
     
     
         19 . A method for livestock monitoring, the method comprising:
 collecting, by multiple animal monitoring devices mounted on respective animals, accelerometer data of one or more parts of the animals;   classifying, by a processor integrated with each of the animal monitoring devices, the accelerometer data into one of multiple animal behaviours, to create behaviour classification data;   receiving, by a gateway device, the behaviour classification data from one or more of the multiple animal monitoring devices, responsive to the one or more of the multiple animal monitoring devices being within a communication range of the gateway device, and;   obtaining sensor data in relation to the animals that is measured independent from the animal behaviours; and   determining, by a rules engine located remotely from the animals, compliance of the animal behaviours with predetermined rules, wherein the behaviours and sensor data are used as variable values in determining the compliance.   
     
     
         20 . A method for livestock monitoring, the method comprising:
 responsive to the one or more of the multiple animal monitoring devices being within a communication range, receiving behaviour classification data from multiple animal monitoring devices, the behaviour classification data being indicative of classifications derived from accelerometer data of one or more parts of the animals;   obtaining sensor data in relation to the animals that is measured independent from the animal behaviours; and   determining compliance of the animal behaviours with predetermined rules, wherein the behaviours and sensor data are used as variable values in determining the compliance.